Maine's Lakes and Ponds A Comprehensive Guide to Maine Lakefront Real Estate Henry David Thoreau once wrote: "A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is the earth's eye, looking into which we measure the depth of our own nature." Maine lakes are one of the major glories of this state - so richly endowed by nature. How many Americans have childhood memories of going to camp on a Maine lake?   In fact, there are 5,785 of them that are larger than 1 acre, covering 1,762 square miles! Nearly half of these are classified as "Great Ponds", meaning larger than 10 acres, a term that dates back to Maine's colonial days. These lakes not only provide an unmatched recreational resource for fishing, swimming, canoeing and camping but, more importantly, they provide quiet places of raw beauty.   When it comes to Maine lakefront real estate, although it is not always prudent to generalize, properties tend to be less expensive the farther up the Maine coastline you go and the farther inland you go. With more and more people from out-of-state willing to pay a premium for coastal or lakefront real estate, values seem to be steadily increasing, as you can see in our report on Historical Homes Sales. The old adage - that "now" is always the best time to buy certainly appears to be true for Maine's waterfront properties Additional Resources PEARL is supported through a collaboration of research, management, and citizen-volunteer organizations, and is a superb example of cooperative stewardship. It is a searchable data base for Maine lakes created in collaboration between the University of Maine and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This resource will not only provide environmental information, but will be a place where you can search specific lakes by name and their exact location using interactive maps and tools. Visit The Maine Lake Authority for detailed Infomation. Maine Lake Authority     Topic   Lake Information Details             Data Search   Search all Maine Lakes   Lake Guides   Lake Details & Water Quality, Depths   Fishing Resources   Species, Locations, Stock Mgmt   Focus Topics   Environment Issues   Reference Library   Interactive Knowledge Base   Maine Lakes & Maps   Maine offers many opportunites to own lakefront property, whether as a year round home, rental property, vacation retreat or a simple camp. Access Maine lake maps to assist you in identifying the location that is best for your home or lot purchase. These maps provide local information, general location and supporting data. Go To: Maine Lake Maps